Identity theft in the UK rises by a third

34,151 confirmed instances of identity fraud were recorded in the first quarter of ​2015​

According to Cifas, the average age of ID fraud victims is 46​.

But those in the 21-30 age range are increasingly targeted​

Advice: ​limit the amount of personal information you give away on social networking sites

The number of people falling victim to identity theft in the UK has risen by almost a third, figures suggest.

Data from fraud prevention service Cifas shows ​​34,151 confirmed instances of identity fraud were recorded in the first quarter of ​2015​.

Identity fraud is when criminals abuse personal data to impersonate a victim or to create fictitious identities to obtain products and services.

According to the figures for the three-month period, credit cards were involved in 14,103 confirmed cases, while bank accounts were involved in 9,349 cases.

Cifas said 80% of identity fraud in the first quarter was attempted online.

Simon Dukes, Cifas chief executive, said: “Fraud figures fluctuate over time, as fraudsters adapt and try new ways of achieving their aims.

“What these figures show is that identity fraud continues to be the most serious fraud threat and that the first quarter of the year has been a very profitable one for organised identity criminals.

“Our data is just the tip of the iceberg - more needs to be done to identify the true scale of fraud in the UK and educate individuals about the dangers and the steps that can be taken to protect themselves.”

Detective Chief Superintendent Dave Clark, from City of London Police, said: “Identity fraud is at the heart of much of today’s criminality, acting as a key facilitator for a host of other types of offences.

“To stop this from happening we must all take responsibility for protecting our personal information, especially when working and playing online.

“By following some simple procedures, such as creating strong passwords, protecting internet connected devices with up-to-date security software and not sharing too much personal information online, we can make life much more difficult for the identity fraudsters and ensure fewer of us fall victim to what is a highly disruptive and upsetting crime.”

​Advice for online safety

• Exclude important personal information from your social media ​accounts.